Orthopaedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic surgeons diagnose and operate on problems with bones, joints, muscles and ligaments, restoring movement and relieving pain.
- Median salary*
- $208,000
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,700
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +12%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 48/wk
+8h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- In shortage
national
Most orthopaedic surgeons work across public and private hospitals, with clinic time in outpatient departments or their own consulting rooms. Their focus is the musculoskeletal system, which separates them from general surgeons who operate across the whole body. The title is protected: you need a medical degree, completion of the orthopaedic surgical training program and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons before AHPRA registers you as a specialist.
How much do orthopaedic surgeons earn?
The median full-time salary for an orthopaedic surgeon is $208,000 per annum, before tax, up $44,000 since 2018.
Pay depends most on how the work is structured. A salaried public hospital appointment follows a state enterprise agreement, with loadings for on-call, recall and after-hours operating, while private practice bills per procedure through Medicare and the private insurers, so earnings track your operating volume. Subspecialty matters too, since joint replacement, spine and trauma work sit at different fee levels, and rural or regional appointments can attract additional allowances that vary by state.
What does an orthopaedic surgeon do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Assessing patients with fractures, joint pain and sporting injuries, and deciding whether an operation will help
- Operating on joint replacements, fracture repairs, arthroscopies and soft tissue injuries
- Reviewing X-rays, CT scans and MRIs and planning the procedure, including the type and size of implant
- Running post-operative clinics and guiding rehabilitation alongside physiotherapists
- Supervising registrars and junior doctors in theatre and on the ward, and covering on-call trauma lists
What skills do orthopaedic surgeons need?
Employers look for patient care and support, clinical assessment and treatment, care planning and coordination, backed by Electronic medical records (e.g. Epic) fluency and strong problem solving.
Specialist skills
- Patient care and support
- Clinical assessment and treatment
- Care planning and coordination
Software and tools
- Electronic medical records (e.g. Epic)
- PACS imaging software
- Orthopaedic templating software (e.g. TraumaCad)
- Surgical navigation systems
- 3D printing and custom implant planning software
General skills
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
- Written communication
- People leadership
Is the job growing?
About 1,700 people work as orthopaedic surgeons in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 12% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an orthopaedic surgeon?
Here's the path most orthopaedic surgeons take, step by step.
- 1Complete a medical degree
Five or six years at an Australian university, taken either as an undergraduate course or as graduate entry after a first degree, and including clinical placements in hospitals.
- 2Work as an intern and resident medical officer
A one-year internship followed by a few years of hospital rotations, usually including surgery and emergency. This is where you build the surgical experience and the references that selection panels look at.
- 3Train in orthopaedic surgery
Selection into the Surgical Education and Training program in orthopaedic surgery runs through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and the program takes about five years of hospital rotations, examinations and steadily increasing operating responsibility.
- 4Gain fellowship and specialist registration
Finishing the program gives you Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and you then apply to AHPRA for specialist registration, which is what allows independent practice. Many surgeons add a further fellowship year in a subspecialty such as arthroplasty, sports surgery, spine or paediatrics.
- 5Decide how you want to practise
Most start in a salaried public hospital role and add private operating sessions or consulting rooms over time, while some move into private practice earlier or combine the two.
Ready to apply as an orthopaedic surgeon?
Whether you're working toward becoming an orthopaedic surgeon or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an orthopaedic surgeon move to?
We don't list lateral moves for orthopaedic surgeons: leaving means a full new qualification rather than a career move, and the realistic routes in are covered under how to become one.
Who works as an orthopaedic surgeon?
The typical orthopaedic surgeon is 46 years old; 86% are men, 85% work full-time, and full-timers average 48 hours a week.
- 46
- Median age
- 14%
- Female share
- 85%
- Full-time
- +8h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an orthopaedic surgeon?
The week has two distinct halves: long, precise operating lists, and clinic or ward time where progress is slower and depends on how a patient heals. Trauma calls and on-call rosters interrupt whatever was planned, so the schedule rarely runs to the minute. Surgeons who enjoy it tend to like the technical challenge of an operation whose result is visible, and the long relationships that come from following a patient through recovery.
What people like
- Seeing function return. Someone who could barely walk into the clinic often leaves hospital mobile days after a hip replacement, and the result of the work is plain to see.
- The technical side of the craft. Every operation has a plan and a sequence of steps, and you find out quickly whether the approach worked.
- Long relationships with patients. Joint replacements, sports injuries and children's conditions often mean seeing the same person over years, through surgery, rehabilitation and later reviews.
- Working with a coordinated theatre team. A list runs on nurses, anaesthetists and registrars who know the steps as well as you do, and a well-run theatre session is satisfying in itself.
What people find hard
- Long days on your feet. An elective list can run eight hours or more, sometimes in a lead apron, and concentration has to hold from the first incision to the last.
- Trauma and on-call. Fractures arrive after hours, so on-call shifts cut into evenings and weekends and can be followed by a normal operating list the next morning.
- The result is not entirely yours. A technically perfect operation can still leave a patient whose bone does not knit or whose joint stiffens, because healing is partly outside anyone's control.
- A long road to independence. Medical school, residency, the training program and often a fellowship add up to more than a decade after school, with exams and moves between hospitals along the way.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ orthopaedic surgeons?
Hospitals (public and private) employs the largest share of orthopaedic surgeons, followed by Specialist medical services.
Top employing industries
- 1Hospitals (public and private)
- 2Specialist medical services
- 3Outpatient care services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 52% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 26% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13% | |
| Other | 9% |
Will AI replace orthopaedic surgeons?
This is a low-exposure role. Robotic-assisted joint replacement, surgical navigation and templating software are established in orthopaedics, but they sharpen the surgeon's plan and execution rather than replace the hands doing the operation. Most of the week is theatre, clinic and ward work, where decisions come from examining a patient and handling tissue in front of you.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Operating in theatreReducing a fracture or seating an implant depends on feel and judgement in the moment, and a robotic arm still needs a surgeon guiding it and deciding when to abandon the plan.45%low
- Pre-operative planning and templatingTemplating software and 3D-printed, patient-specific guides can size an implant or rehearse a complex reconstruction before the list starts.20%moderate
- Clinic consultations and post-operative checksJudging a healing fracture or a stiff knee means examining the joint, testing movement and talking with the patient about what recovery looks like.20%low
- Notes, letters and imaging reviewAI scribes and dictation already draft clinic letters and summaries, and PACS tools flag and rank images, which trims the desk work around each patient.15%high
Common questions about becoming an orthopaedic surgeon
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do orthopaedic surgeons earn?
Orthopaedic surgeons earn $208,000 per annum, before tax, in full-time work. What moves the figure is the mix of public and private work, the subspecialty, and how much on-call and after-hours operating you take on.
How do you become an orthopaedic surgeon?
Start with a medical degree, then work as an intern and resident while applying for the orthopaedic surgery training program run through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, which takes about five years. Fellowship and specialist registration with AHPRA are what allow you to practise independently.
Are orthopaedic surgeons in demand?
Orthopaedic surgeons are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 12% over the decade to 2035. For anyone weighing up the training, the more useful question is whether you can commit to the years it takes, since the surgical work itself is not going away.
Will AI replace orthopaedic surgeons?
No, the exposure is low. Robotic-assisted joint replacement, surgical navigation and templating software are already in theatres, but they refine the surgeon's plan rather than set it, and shaping bone and repairing soft tissue stays in human hands. The paperwork around the job, clinic letters, summaries and imaging review, is where AI is doing more.
Do orthopaedic surgeons work in public or private practice?
Both settings are common and they work differently. A public hospital appointment is salaried, includes on-call trauma duties and usually teaching, while private practice bills per procedure and gives you more say over your list and hours. Many surgeons hold some of each.
What can an orthopaedic surgeon move into later in their career?
A subspecialty fellowship in arthroplasty, sports surgery, spine or paediatrics is a common way to narrow the work you take on for the rest of your career. Others move into hospital leadership, research or teaching, or build their own private practice, which is often where earnings grow.
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